New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-01
4 yEW JyCPEISE or THE NirY.


The Republican minority in the House has
contriycd to secure substantial increase Of the
Navy The amendment TO the appropriation
bill offered by Mr. Savers on Saturday night
was supported by barely fifty Democrats, and
oud havo been defeated if tho Republican
members had not voted for it in body. Other
amendments cmbodying the substance Of the
Cameron and one of the Hawley Ordnance bills
were supported by the minority and rejected
by the majority: and the fate OF two Of the
Senates Measures Of national defence was there
by sealed Tho Senate will lie forced to con
tent itself with tho Sayers amendment. which
provides for two additional cruisers, four gun
boats and one torpedo-hoat. at an aggregate
cost of 81. $50. 900, exclusive Of armament.
Each OF the new cruisers is TO be OF 1000 tons
displacement. and is TO he modelled after the
Newark with the exception Of boilers and ma
ohncry, the Secretary being allowed at his dis
crction TO supply triple expansion engines and
to obtain the highest possible speed. The New
ark was designed by American engineers, but
her construction has not yet been contracted
for the bids last autumn exceeding tho linn
itatiOn of cost. The four g,lnboats are to he
modelled after the one now building at the
Cramps ship-yarls. which Il to have n dis
placement Of LOO tons. The House Commit
tee on Naval Affairs expire scd belief in one
Of their reports thar these gunboatS can develop
a NAHUM speed Of nineteen knots. We do not
Look for the fulflmcnt Of thc~c expectations
but have no reason TO disparagc the type, which
seems to have many marked advantages.
This increase Of the Navy is unexpected in
Al u. r Al. 4 -,
ton bill apparently allowed no leisure for new
icHslahon. The Sayers amendment was strcn-
uously opposed 10y Mr.. Holman on the ground
that appropriations for new vc.scls could not
I've made in the general bill for tic maintcn-
ancc Of the Department. The chairman, by q
somewhat strained construction Of the rules OF
The House. overrulcd the objection on the ground
that the rehabilitation Of the Navy was n pub
lie work now in progress and expenditures
could therefore he authorized for new ships in
n general appropriation bill without the sane
ton of special law. The economists were
not dcmoralizcd by this ruling hut offered a
strenuous resistance even TO 10 moderate an
increase of the Navy "a the amendment con-
tcrnplated, and they would have defeated il
altogether If the Republicans had not voted
sol,dly for it.
The Appropriation bill. with this amendment
was finally sent 10 the senate but not until
the clause authorizing the Secretary Of the
Navy TO make such transfers Of appropriations
from one bureau to another a. he might deem
rXpcdicnt had been stricken out. Mr.. Ran
dali, by his citations from the Revised Statutes
disclosed the i!legality Of his anomalous method
Of procedure. The ambitious cocric Of naval
officers which has made the chief Of the Blu
rcau Of Navigation power behind the throne
dcspairing Of securing the passage Of Tho
Reorganization bill, hit upon this cxpcdient
for occurring absolute control over the bushes,
of the bureaus The project was a very pretty
one, but Mr.. Randall dismissed il contempt
uously as clearly Illegal.